Folding ladder



June 15, 1965 R. M. BOND 3, 3

FOLDING LADDER Filed May 11 1962 s sheets-sheet 1 FIGS INVENTOR. ROBERT M. BOND AT T YS.

June 15, 1965 R. M. BOND $189,123

FOLDING LADDER Filed May 11 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

R0 ERT M. BOND BY 7m%/ 7 ATTYS.

. June 15, 1965 R. M. BOND 3,189,123

FOLDING LADDER Filed May 11, 1962 INVENTOR. ROBERT M. BOND BY M MQ ATTYS' wa my 3 Sheets-Sheet s United States Patent O Ohio Filed May 11, 1962, Ser. No. 194,075 9 Claims. (Cl. 182-125) This invention relates to folding ladders and particularly to an improved folding ladder having an automati cally operable platform and tray, and optionally, a convertible auxiliary support.

Prior folding ladders have had attached platforms which have served as the upper step of a ladder; and attached trays for holding paint buckets, tools and the like, both platform and tray being automatically movable to open and closed positions when the ladders are extended to opened or folded to closed positions, respectively. One such ladder is illustrated in Patent No. 1,871,693, issued to Huck in 1932.

Generally, however, additional structure on a folding ladder, such as a tray and/or a platform capable of supporting the weight of a person standing thereon and thus requiring that the platform be ruggedly constructed, adds to the weight of the ladder. The added weight may render it cumbersome to handle, especially if the platform projects outwardly to any extent from the body of the ladder when the latter is in closed or folded position.

Clearly, then, accessory structures which render the folding ladder capable of serving functions other than that normally incident to a ladder would expectedly add still more weight to the ladder and restrict, in some manner, the ease with which it is handled, such as is the case with respect to the ladder disclosed in the Smith Patent, No. 393,591, issued in 1888, illustrating a combined stepladder and ironing board. The rear support for the folding stepladder in Smith is a solid board which optionally serves as the ironing board when the ladder is appropriately converted.

Also, it is well known that when a person stands on or near the top step of a ladder, the step' usually being more narrow than the length of a persons foot, the person is in a relatively unstable and dangerous position because he has no supporting structure to grab onto other than available walls, window sash or the like. Many injuries have resulted to persons who have fallen from ladders or stepladders, because there was no such support available to them.

Therefore, it is a purpose of the invention to provide an improved folding ladder with a relatively thin, light-weight platform capable of supporting a persons weight and a tray for holding tools and the like, vboth platform and tray automatically extending to operative position and foldably closing substantially within the confines of the body of the ladder as the ladder is itself extended and closed, respectively.

It is also a purpose of the invention to provide an improved folding ladder having upwardly extending handles projecting considerably above the uppermost step on the ladder enabling persons to hold on safely as they climb and descend the ladder.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved folding ladder having a platform and a tray with an auxiliary support which may serve as a back rest when the platform is used as a seat, or as an auxiliary shelf, or as a cover in cooperation with the tray to form a pocket for retaining tools when the ladder is in the closed or folded position.

Other purposes inherent in the nature and character of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description which follows.

3,189,123 Patented June 15, 1965 Kit:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the improved folding ladder in folded or closed position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the folded ladder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the folded ladder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the improved folding ladder in open or extended position;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the ladder as shown in FIG, 4, illustrating details of the tray, cam bracket support plate, platform and platform cam;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating the opening or closing movements of the platform and tray, as the ladder is being opened or closed;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating the. locked position of the tray with respect to the platform when the ladder is in the folded position;

' FIG. 8 is an enlarged rear elevation taken substantially on line 8-8 of FIG. 7 with a portion of the tray broken y;

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating modified handle arrangement in lieu of the upwardly extending handles of FIGS. l-8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the latching assembly;

FIG. 11 is a vertical section similar to FIG. 5 of a modified version of the folding ladder having an auxiliary support, illustrating the optional positions of the auxiliary support;

FIG. 12 is a similar vertical section showing the optional positions of the auxiliary support in the folded position of the modified ladder; and,

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the auxiliary support.

In reference to FIGS. 1-8 the preferred embodiment of the improved folding ladder 10 basically constitutes a front section X, a rear section Y, a platform 12 and a tray 14.

The front section X of the foldingladder 10 consists of conventional steps or treads 16 which are connected to and serve to space the side rails 18 a predetermined distance apart. The steps are conventionally fitted at their ends into grooves on the inside surfaces of the side rails and conventional wire rods 20 are connected between the side rails and bolted to the outer surfaces of the side rails so that the rods are in abutting relation to the lower surfaces of the steps to provide the ladder with additional rigidity as well as providing a support for each step as an added safety factor. It will be observed from FIG. 1 that the bottom step is wider than the top step so that the side rails are non-parallelly spaced apart.

The upper ends of the side rails 18 terminate in rearward inclined surfaces 22 adapted for a purpose to be described later.

The rear section Y consists of a pair of back legs 24 connected in similar non-parallelly spaced apart position by braces 26. Although the braces illustrated in the drawings are known in the art as cross braces, it should be understood that the term braces may refer to any structure capable of performing suitable bracing effects and therefore, the scope of the invention is not limited to the use of cross braces.

The back legs 24 may be extended upwardly a predetermined distance above the top step 16 and the upper ends of the front section X to form handles 28 which enable persons to safely climb and descend the ladder and provide bracing supports for the legs of persons standing on the top step. The handles also serve other purposes which will be described later.

The front section X and the rear section Y are pivotal-r of which face on the inside surfaces of the side rails for a purpose to be described later. Inasmuch as only the side rails contact the ground when the ladder is in the closed position of FIG. 2, the points of side rail ground contact serve as fulcrum points and the back legs of the rear section may be made to pivot with respect to the side rails of the front section. The cars or cam bracket support plates are also provided with rearwardly projecting cam surfaces 34 which serve a purpose which will be described later. The ears may be fabricated from any suitable material such as plywood or metal.

The tray 14 is pivotally connected to the inside surfaces of the back legs by arms 36, which arms also serve as part of the retaining flange 38 along the sides and rear edge of the tray. The point of pivotal connection is just above the ears or cam bracket support plates 30. When the ladder is in the closed position of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8, the tray extends downwardly in a substantially vertical position substantially between and within the two back legs and inwardly of the cam bracket support plates or ears, and as the ladder is extended to the open position the cam surfaces of the ears cooperatingly engage the lower surfaces of the arms to move the tray upwardly to the horizontal extended position of FIGS. 4 and 5. The upper cam surfaces 34 of the ears, in the open position of the ladder, then serve to support and maintain the tray in the extended horizontal position.

The platform 12 is pivotally connected to the rear section Y between the back legs 24 by a metal rod 40, the rod preferably being formed of cold rolled steel. Secured to the under surface of the platform is a half heartshaped cam 42 which is centrally disposed transversely of the tray and extends from the rear edge of the platform part way toward the front edge. As shown in FIG. 6 the cam rides on the rear edge of the top step 16 and guides the platform as it drops by gravity to the horizontal extended position from a substantially vertical position in the closed position of the ladder, as shown in FIG. 7. When the ladder is in the open position substantially a third of the platform is supported on the top step. The cam 42 cooperates with the rear edge of the top step to force the platform to its closed position within the body of the ladder as the ladder itself is being folded. After the ladder has been completely folded, or is in the closed position, the rear edge of the cam 42 abuts the rear edge of step 16 and thereby locks the platform in the substantially vertical position shown to prevent it from inadvertently dropping downwardly while the ladder is in the folded position.

The heads 32A of the bolts 32 which are on the inside surfaces of the side rails serve as stop surfaces to prevent the platform from pivoting rearwardly when the ladder is in closed position.

The platform 12 is freely slidable a limited distance laterally between the back legs 24 along the rod which supports it for a purpose which will be later described.

In the operation of the improved folding ladder 10 the upwardly extending handles 28 may be pulled forwardly as the side rails contact the ground to swing the back legs of the rear section into open or extended position. Simultaneously with the opening of the ladder the tray and platform are moved into the open or extended positions. Inasmuch as the main weight of a person standing on the platform is usually concentrated through his heels, a relatively thin and light weight platform may be utilized because most of the weight will be transmitted through the forward third of the platform to the top step 16 which supports the platform. When the person stands on the platform the upwardly extending handles also serve to bracingly support the legs of the person and steadies his balance.

The rearward inclined surfaces 22 of the side rails 18 in the open position of the ladder abut the forward surfaces of the back legs. The combination of the cam bracket support plates, the bolts 32 and the abutting rearward inclined surfaces serve to rigidly hold the ladder in 4 the open position without danger of the ladder inadvertently collapsing.

The platform 12 is transversely slidable to a limited extent in either direction along the rod 40 to which it is pivotally connected. If the surface upon which the ladder is standing should be uneven and thereby tend to cause the ladder to rock unsteadily back and forth as a person standing on the ladder shifts his weight for any reason, the person may stand on the step below the top step and push on the handle of that back leg which is not fully standing on the surface. The action of pushing on the handle causes the back leg to swing toward the front section X until it makes a more solid contact with the surface, thereby placing that back leg forwardly of the opposite back leg. The forward swinging of the back leg causes the platform 12 to shift its position with respect to the top step on which it was resting so that it is slightly angularly inclined thereto. The platform can then be moved slightly transversely with respect to the rod 40, and when the person then steps upon the platform, his weight on the platform together with the frictional forces between the lower surface of the platform and the top surface of the top step as they re-engage securely holds the ladder in the distorted but balanced position. As the person descends from the platform, the back leg automatically springs back to its non-distorted position.

As may be observed from FIG. 10, an additional safety feature in the form of a latching assembly 44 may be provided. The latching assembly comprises a projecting bolt member 46 on the outside surface of one of the side rails and a similar projecting bolt member 48 on the outside surface of the corresponding back leg. The latch lever 50 is pivotally connected to the outside surface of the side rail in a position below and slightly forward of the projecting bolt member 46 so that when the ladder is extended to the open position, the latch lever will fall from aposition abutting the bolt member as shown in phantom line position in FIG. 10 into engaging position of the notch 52 with the bolt member 48 on the back leg. Optionally, an additional notch 54 in the latch lever may be provided to engage the bolt member 48 on the back leg when the ladder is in the closed position for locking the ladder in that position.

FIG. 9 illustrates a modification of the handle arrangement whereby a pair of metal looped straps 56 may be secured to the terminal ends of back legs 24' which themselves terminate a short distance above the upper ends of the side rails 18'. The person opening the ladder 10' grasps the loops of the metal straps and by pressing downwardly on top of the straps may open the ladder causing the back legs to pivot outwardly from the side rails as the latter contact the ground and by picking up the ladder by means of the metal loop straps after releasing the latching assembly, the ladder will automatically fold.

FIGS. 11-13 illustrate a further modification of the ladder 119 by providing an auxiliary support 158. The auxiliary support is pivotally mounted upon bail arms which are swingably attachable to holes 162 in the outside surface of the back legs 124. The bail arms are preferably formed from a single length of cold rolled steel rod. The free end of the auxiliary support forward of the point of pivotal connection to the bail arms is provided with a pair of flat abutment surfaces 163, holes 165, and an arcuate cut-out 167 between the abutment surfaces 153. The holes are adapted to engage a pair of shelf hooks 164 which project rearwardly from the rear surfaces of the back legs 124 at a point on the upwardly extending handles 128 considerably above the point of swingable attachment of the bail arms.

As shown in phantom line position in FIG. 11 at position B, the auxiliary support 158 may be manually moved from a position abutting the flanges 138 on the tray to a position engaging the shelf hooks 164 by means of holes 165, thereby serving as an additional tray shelf at a predetermined distance above the automatically opening and closing tray 114.

Although not specifically illustrated, the arcuate cutout 167 when in tray shelf position B, serves to bracingly support the knees of the person standing on the platform, ensuring better balance and providing a further safety factor if desired. Also, when in this position, the tray shelf as hooked to shelf hooks 164 provides still further rigidity to the ladder by tying together the two handles 128.

A pair of downwardly inclined grooves 166 may also be provided below and adjacent the top step 116 within the inside surfaces of the side rails 118 so that the auxiliary support may be swung about and over the upwardly extending handles and pivoted about its bail arms so that the free end 168 of the support slidingly engages partially within the grooves as shown in FIG. '11 at position A. The auxiliary support in that position serves as a seat back in cooperation with the platform 112 and in further cooperation with the tray 114 the overall combination of the platform auxiliary seat back and tray, may serve as a childs high chair. A rod 169 (FIG. 11) may be provided attached between the back legs to serve as a footrest for the high chair.

When the ladder 110 is in the folded position the auxiliary support 158 may optionally be moved in one of two positions. As shown in FIG. 11 at position D or in FIG. 12 in full line position the auxiliary support abuts the top surfaces of the arms 136 of the tray 114 and in cooperation with the tray provides an open-ended pocket to retain any tools which may have been on the tray when the ladder was in the open position. As shown in the phontom line position the auxiliary support may extend downwardly below the tray closely abutting the back legs of the rear section.

' An adidtional metal rod 170 is provided between the back legs 124 of the rear section and is bolted on the outside surfaces of the back legs to provide additional rigidity; to serve as a platform stop as shown in FIG. 12; and to serve as a partial restraining means for a small child when the ladder is converted to a high chair.

A pair of inclined notches 172 may be provided in the upper surface of the tray arms to receive the free ends of the auxiliary support as shown in .phantom line position at C. In this position the auxiliary support may serve as an inclined drawing or blackboard support.

When the auxiliary support is at position E, the flat abutment surfaces 163 of the free end 168 of the sup-.

port are disposed vertically upwardly abutting and supporting the tray. Although not specifically illustrated in FIG. 11, the support at position E will raise the tray upwardly at an angle from its normal resting place on the ear cam surfaces, thereby providing more rigidly for heavier weight to be supported on the tray and providing a point of support farther out than the ears along the cantilevered tray.

Thus in the open or extended position of the folding ladder the bail arms 160 are of sufficient length to permit the auxiliary support to be swung through about a 300 arc from front to rear of the ladder to serve multiple purposes.

What'is claimed is: 1. In a folding ladder having a front section and a rear section, the combination comprising:

a pair of ears pivotally uniting the front andrear sections,

a tray pivotally connected to the rear section,

said ears having rearward extending cam surfaces cooperating with the tray to move it into a horizontal position as the ladder is opening, to support the tray in said horizontal position when the ladder is in open position, and to guide the tray to a downward vertical position as the ladder is closing.

2. In a folding ladder having a front section and a rear section, the combination comprising:

a pair of ears secured to the front section and pivotally connected to the rear section,

a tray pivotally connected to the rear section by a pair of arms at a predetermined distance above said ears,

said ears having rearward extending cam surfaces cooperating with the lower surfaces of said tray arms to move the tray into a horizontal position as the ladder is opening, to support the tray in said horizontal position when the ladder is in open position, and to guide the tray to a downward vertical position as the ladder is closing.

3. In a folding ladder having a front section with steps and a rear section pivotally connected to the front section, the combination comprising:

a platform pivotally connected to the rear section and cooperating with one of the steps for horizontal support thereby when the ladder is in extended position,

a pair of vertically inclined grooves provided in the front section adjacent the forward edge of said one step,

and an auxiliary support pivotally mounted at one end to arms swingably attachable to the rear section and adapted at its other end to fit partly into said grooves to provide a seat back in cooperation with said platform.

4. In a folding ladder having a front section with steps and a rear section pivotally connected to the front section, the combination comprising:

a tray pivotally connected to the rear section'and having a pair of inclined notches in its upper surface,

and an auxiliary support pivotally mounted at one end to arms swingably attachable to the rear section above the tray and adapted at its other end to fit partly within said inclined notches to provide an inclined drawing board.

5. In a folding ladder having a front section provided with steps and a rear section pivotally united to the front section for movement to open and closed positions, the combination of platform means and tray means pivotally connected to said rear section and operable to be moved to open and closed positions;

bracket means for pivotally uniting said front and rear sections and having cam surfaces thereon, said cam surfaces on said bracket means adapted for cooperative engagement with said tray means for moving said tray means to said open and closed positions as the ladder is respectively opened and closed and being further adapted to support said tray means in open position; i

and cam means attached to said platform means and adapted for cooperative engagement with the edge of one of said steps for guiding said platform means to said open position wherein said platform means partially overlies in supported engagement with said one of the steps and for moving said platform means to said closed position wherein said cam means abuts said edge of said one step and locks said platform means in said closed position.

6. In a folding ladder having a front section provided with steps and a rear section pivotally united to the front section for movement to open and closed positions, the combination of tray means pivotally connected to said rear section and operable to be moved to open and closed positions;

and bracket means for pivotally uniting said front and rear sections and having cam surfaces thereon, said cam surfaces on said bracket means adapted for cooperative engagement with said tray means for moving said tray means to said open and closed positions as the ladder is respectively opened and closed and being further adapted to support said tray means in open position.

7. In a folding ladder having a front section provided with steps and comprised of a pair of side rails connected in non-parallelly spaced apart relation by said steps with the bottom step being wider than the top step, and a rear section comprised of a pair of back legs similarly suitably connected in non-parallelly spaced apart relation, said front and rear sections being pivotally united for movement to opened and closed positions, the combination of tray means on said ladder and operable to be moved rearwardly to an open horizontal position from a closed vertical position between said back legs, said tray means comprising:

a tray portion, the upper edge of which in closed position being wider than'the lower edge,

and a pair of arms connected in non-parallelly spaced apart relation at the sides of said tray portion, each arm being pivotally connected at one end remote from the tray portion to theinside surface of one of said back legs, wherein said arms in said closed position of the tray extend from the point of pivotal connection downwardly in substantial alignment with said back legs and inwardly along the length of the arms in non-parallelly spaced relation with respect to said back legs;

and bracket means attached to the inside surfaces of said side rails of said front section and 'pivotally connected to the inside surfaces of said back legs of said rear section for pivotally uniting said front and rear sections and having cam surfaces along the top and rearward edges thereof, said bracket means in the closed position of the ladder being disposed in a position relative to and between the inside surfaces of said back legs and said arms of the tray and movable as the ladder is moved to open position so that said cam surfaces on said rearward edges of the bracket means and the lower edges of said tray arms are cooperatingly brought into alignment to move said tray means into said open horizontal position wherein said tray means is supported in the latter said position on the cam surfaces of said top edges of said bracket means.

8. In a folding ladder for movement to open and closed positions, the combination comprising:

a rear section having a pair of spaced apart and connected back legs;

a front section having steps and a pair of spaced apart side rails connected by said steps, the upper ends of said side rails terminating in rearwardly inclined surfaces adapted to normally abut the forward surfaces of the back legs when the ladder is in open position;

means for pivotally connecting said rear section to said front section;

said last named means and said inclined surfaces on said front section cooperating with said rear section to hold the ladder securely in said open position;

and platform means pivotally connected for movement to open and closed positions to said rear sec tion between said back legs and transversely slidable to a limited extent therebetween and adapted in said open position to partially overlie in supported engagement with one of said steps;

the upper ends of said back legs of the rear section extending to a position above said side rail upper ends to serve as handles by which one or the other of said back legs is manually movable so that the corresponding one of said forward surfaces of said back legs is moved away from the corresponding one of said rearwardly inclined surfaces of said side rails to a limited extent, said limited extent being governed by any unevenness in the surface on which the back leg which is not moved may be standing, the movement of the back leg being so manually moved serving to locate said back leg on a surface substantially the same level as that of said uneven surface, wherein upon movement of said one or the other back leg causes said platform in the open position to slide slightly transversely and one corner of which corresponding to the side of the moved back leg to shift inwardly relative to said one step over which said platform lies and when weight is exerted on said platform the friction contact occurring as a consequence between the bottom surface of said platform and the top surface of said step thus serves to lock said back legs in their respective positions. 9. In a folding ladder movable to open and closed positions, the combination comprising front and rear sections adapted to be pivotally united adjacent one of their terminal ends;

a platform and a tray pivotally connected to said rear section for opening into load-supporting positions when the ladder is in open position;

first means connected to said front section for guiding the platform into said supporting position, and for moving the platform into vertical and locked positions when the ladder is, respectively, closing and in closed position; second means connected to said front section for moving the tray into said supporting position, and for guiding the tray into a vertical position when the ladder is, respectively, closing and in closed position, said second means further pivotally uniting said front and rear sections of said folding ladder; and latching assembly means adapted for locking said front and rear sections of the ladder in said open position comprising projecting means attached to the outside surface of one side of said rear section, and a latch lever having a pair of spaced notches atone end and pivotally connected at the other end to the outside surface of said front section, and in the closed position of the ladder being in manually releasable interlocking engagement with one of said notches and said projecting means for locking said front and rear sections in said closed position, and upon the manual release of said one notch and projecting means and in the open position of the ladder being in manually releasable interlocking engagement with the other of said notches and said projecting means for locking said front and rear sections in said open position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 123,287 1/72 Norton 182124 349,286 9/86 Swartz 182124 382,102 5/88 McLaughlin 182-126 724,423 4/03 Benigar 182-l25 1,871,693 8/32 Huck- 182-125 2,533,391 12/50 Miller 182-106 3,005,513 10/61 Larson 182165 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner. 

1. IN A FOLDING LADDER HAVING A FRONT SECTION AND A REAR SECTION, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A PAIR OF EARS PIVOTALLY UNITING THE FRONT AND REAR SECTIONS, A TRAY PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE REAR SECTION, SAID EARS HAVING REARWARD EXTENDING CAM SURFACES COOPERATING WITH THE TRAY TO MOVE IT INTO A HORIZONTAL POSITION AS THE LADDER IS OPENING, TO SUPPORT THE TRAY IN SAID HORIZONTAL POSITION WHEN THE LATTER IS IN OPEN POSITION, AND TO GUIDE THE TRAY TO A DOWNWARD VERTICAL POSITION AS THE LADDER IS CLOSING. 